Naturalist
Joe Hutto embarked on a unique, once-ina-a-lifetime scientific project
that became much more than just science: he lived as a turkey for a year.

Joe explains his life as a turkey in this interview with New Scientist:

You lived with wild turkeys in rural Florida for over a
year. How did it all begin?
I had been experimenting with the imprinting phenomenon - in which young
animals become attached to the first moving object they encounter -
for years, with many types of birds and mammals. Wild turkeys are difficult
to come by, so when I lucked upon some wild turkey eggs I decided: OK,
this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

These turkeys regarded you as their mother. Was that a
lot of responsibility?
It was, because wild turkeys are precocial - they are born fully alert
and ambulatory and don't stay in the nest. They have to imprint at birth
so they know who mum is, and they can't be left alone at all. I realised
that if I was going to do this project then it was going to be a 24-hour-a-day
commitment, which I was willing to do.

What did being their mother mean in practice?
I had to be with them before daylight so that when they flew down from
the roost their mother was there waiting, and I had to remain with them
until after dark. If I tried to leave before it was completely dark
they would fly down and try to follow me, and then they were left on
the ground, where they were vulnerable to snakes or weasels.

Was your research scientific?
It started out as a science project but it became more than that to
me. I found it impossible to avoid a very personal involvement, so a
certain scientific empiricism and detachment was immediately lost in
the process.

Watch the video that cathy linked for us, flat out amazing stuff. Mr.Hutto's work and story are inspiring and someone needs to give him a grant or two. I finally understand why Benjamin Franklin preferred the humble Turkey to the Bald Eagle.